Meet the Growers

Posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015 at 5:11 pm.

We Olive was founded on the principle of supporting small, artisan olive growers. At each of our 14 (and counting) tasting bars, you can experience hand-crafted California olive oils and learn the stories of the growers themselves. While reading about it will never match the sensory experience of tasting with experts, we hope you’ll be inspired to try what we think are some of the best of this year’s crop!

Award-winning Fandango Olive Oil in Paso Robles is run by Jerry & Carolyn Shaffer. This retired couple employs sustainable practices, including using owls and raptors for rodent control, planting cover crops for soil enhancement and using solar power for their entire property. Their olive oils are certified organic and are made from either Arbequinaand Koroneiki olives. Their 2015 Fiesta, available in our online shop, is a blend of both olives and offers notes of green almond, herbs with rich and complex flavors of fruit and spice.

Bondolio Olive Oil in the Sacramento Valley, is Sicilian at heart, producing three unique Sicilian olives for a delicious, award-winning blend. Farmed by the Bond Family, the orchards are laid out in traditional Southern Italian patterns to allow for maximum sunlight and fresh air to penetrate and nourish the trees and fruit. The Bonds produce an oil with aromas of green grass, citrus and apple with abundant fruit flavors along with black pepper, almond and walnut. Get the 2015 Bondolio at our online shop.

The Other Brother Company, manned by brothers Ben Herrmann and Evan Loewy, grow several varieties of organic and pesticide-free olives along the California coast from Templeton to the Carmel Valley. We adore their “Shorty”, the growers favorite blend of Arbequina, Leccino and Pendolino. It’s fruity with smooth, buttery notes, and a kick of pepper on the finish. Get the 2015 Shorty in it’s fantastic tin packaging at our online shop.